Calvert, Wilson set for November showdown

Published 12:00 am, Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Republicans and Democrats have decided on their candidates in the race to replace Precinct 4 County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson: Democrat Tommy Calvert, KROV-FM general manager; and Republican Tim Wilson, mayor of Kirby, will face off in November.

The field for the two major parties — originally crowded with nine candidates — was narrowed in last week's primary runoff elections as Wilson edged Windcrest mayor Alan Baxter with 52 percent of the vote in the Republican primary and Calvert cruised past SAISD board member Debra Guerrero with 65 percent of the Democratic vote.

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Matt Lerma of the Green Party, the third candidate on the November ballot, was nominated by convention March 15.

In an interview after last week's runoff, Calvert said that if elected in November, he was looking forward to fighting for a neglected area.

“People of Precinct 4 know they've been shortchanged in a lot of ways,” said Calvert, pointing to a lack of area parks and improvements to streets and drainage systems. “This precinct is a net donor to the county — we're paying taxes without a return.”

“If elected, I want to have us re-invest those taxes,” he added.

Calvert also noted that the constituents of Precinct 4 have spoken clearly about the streetcar issue.

“There's about 70 percent against, and 30 percent for streetcars,” Calvert said. “There are a lot of things (in that plan) that need ironing out, and I've even signed a petition that would allow people to vote on the issue.”

“A streetcar is a drain on the county,” said Calvert, noting that the project's $275 million dollars could potentially be used to build 2,000-plus new houses. “We could invest that money in an appreciable asset — like housing — instead.”

Calvert said he wants to devote additional resources to securing the future military-related jobs in the area.

“We hear all about the Toyota Plant on the South Side, but one of the greatest economic development stories in the area that hasn't been told is the consolidation of medical training for the armed forces at (Fort Sam) Houston and along (loop) 410,” Calvert explained. “I want to alert the community … that we need to begin to invest in this precinct for the safety of our military jobs.”

For his part, Wilson, who's also a CPS electrician, said that if elected, he wants to focus on diverting the county's focus from big projects to more basic needs.

“This government shouldn't be about special projects, special interests, and special areas” of the county, Wilson said. “Stuff like streetcars, the San Pedro creeks — are these the best things to be spending hundreds of millions of dollars on?”

“It's time to fasten our belts, and that begins at the top,” Wilson added. “We need to sit down and come up with a plan to prioritize what we actually need.”

This means focusing on expanded fire and police coverage for the 60-plus unincorporated neighborhoods across Precinct 4, Wilson said. He also plans to push for basic improvements to infrastructure, such as road repairs and street lighting.

“We need to fight for street lights in neighborhoods,” Wilson noted. “We have kids walking home, playing out there at night, and lights make that safer for them.”

“Police and fire (coverage), that has to be No. 1,” he added. “That's what people expect.”